Throughout this disclosure, the term “Scorpion” or “Scorpion System” refers generally to the Thomas Services Scorpion brand proprietary tubular management system as a whole. Aspects of the Scorpion system are disclosed in the Prior Applications. In particular, aspects of a knuckle-jointed lance (“KJL”) are disclosed and claimed in nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 13/833,108.
In conventional tubular cleaning operations, the cleaning apparatus is typically stationary, while the tubular is drawn longitudinally past the cleaning apparatus. The tubular is rotated at a relatively slow speed (in the range of 50 rpm, typically) while stationary, spring-loaded air motors drive spinning wire brushes and cutter heads on the inside diameter of the tubular as it is drawn past, via skewed drive rolls. These air brushes are colloquially called “cutters” although they perform abrasive cleaning operations on the internal surface of the tubular.
Internal tubular cleaning operations typically also include hydroblasting in the prior art, although this is conventionally understood to be supplemental to the wire brush cleaning described above, rather than a primary cleaning process in and of itself. Typically this conventional hydroblasting is a low pressure water or steam pressure wash at pressures ranging from about 2,500 psi to 3,500 psi.
As disclosed in the Prior Applications, embodiments of the Scorpion System operate by rotating the tubular to be cleaned (“Work”) while keeping the Work stationary with respect to the cleaning apparatus. The Scorpion then moves the cleaning apparatus up and down the length of the Work while the Work rotates, typically at speeds in a range of about 400-500 rpm, and potentially up to 1,750 rpm under certain criteria. The Scorpion System may draw the cleaning apparatus up and down the length of the Work at speeds within a range of about 0.5 to 5.0 linear feet per second (“fps”), depending on the selected corresponding rotational speed for the Work.
More specifically, the Scorpion System provides a series of extendable and retractable lances (“knuckle-jointed lance” or “KJL”) that move up and down the internal surface of the Work as it rotates. The structure and operation of the extendable and retractable lances are described at length and in full in the Prior Applications. In summary, the KJL is a concatenated string of articulated segments that are generally trapezoidal. Each KJL provides tool hardware to perform a desired function, including, for example and without limitation, hydroblasting, steam cleaning, washing and rinsing, high and low volume compressed air blowing, gas drying, or any combination of enabled functions. To perform these functions, the Scorpion System enables an individual KJL, one at a time, to be extended from a “reel”-like structure into and out of the Work in a user-selected sequence. The Scorpion System moves the user-selected KJL, according to the sequence, into and out of position for extension and retraction into and out of the Work while the Work rotates.
The Scorpion System has several significant advantages over conventional tubular cleaning systems, as described in the Prior Applications, and the KJL described in the Prior Applications has been found to be serviceable to provide those advantages. However, especially in high rotational speed applications, prolonged contact between KJL segments and the interior of the Work may potentially lead to high wear on the KJL segments or the Work itself. It would thus be advantageous to enhance the KJL with a protective system configured to minimize wear.